HANOVER SCHOOL BOARD
RETREAT
TUESDAY, MAY 15, 2007
4:00 PM, HANOVER HIGH SCHOOL
Minutes
Present: Board members Asmus, Bruce, Carter, Carpenter, Chamberlin, Rose; Administrators: Gersen, Aubin, Roberts, Williams; Recorded by R. Lohr
1. Call to Order – Chair Asmus called the meeting to order at 4:12 p.m. and reviewed the objectives and format of the retreat meeting. Principal Williams expressed appreciation for the timing of the retreat because it was more aligned with the staff’s goal setting cycle.
2. Ray School Assessments
Assistant Principal Curtis used a Power Point presentation to give the Board an historical overview of the Ray School Assessment Triad that illustrates the inter-relationship among curriculum, assessments, and goals. She also described and provided examples of summative and formative assessments.
3. Ray Administrators’ Target Areas for 2007-08
After dinner, Principal Williams explained how the K-12 curriculum ties into the assessments, noting that there will be common assessments in each content area at each grade level. The draft of the Academic Components and Quantitative Assessments at the Ray School was reviewed. Principal Williams emphasized that it is a work in progress, but charts a general direction he and Assistant Principal Curtis are heading.
Principal Williams also suggested areas for improvement, which he hoped might be incorporated into the Board’s goals, which are used as guidelines for teacher professional development. These areas of improvement included continuing work on the Ray School curriculum documents, writing, and extending the use of the Sitton Spelling method/program in grades 2-5.
The Board suggested that math scores on the NECAP’s and parent feedback indicate a need to consider whether math is an area that could be improved. Principal Williams indicated that the staff is presently investigating the NECAP math scores and reminded the Board that he hoped to use Bridgman funds to bring an external consultant to help understand the issues associated with the math results. Superintendent Gersen suggested that Ray School consider a joint effort on math with Marion Cross in this area since the Norwich Board planned to focus on math.
4. Formulation of 2007-08 Goals
The Board agreed to add math to the points of emphasis in the goals. It also endorsed a goal that would encourage collaborative efforts and increased Web use. The Board discussed the effect of incorporating the phrase “cost effectiveness” into the goals and decided that “cost effectiveness” issues should be incorporated into the Budget Guidelines instead. It was agreed that innovation is more significant to the professional development goals. The Board also wanted to be clear that its goals should be applied on a school-wide basis to both regular education and special education.
Superintendent Gersen will draft the goals from his meeting notes and bring them to the following-night’s regularly scheduled monthly meeting for the Board to review.
5. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.
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